Sourcing paint driers from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 17 November 2026, heading 3211 covers prepared driers. It is a single code carrying 0% on goods from China, with no anti-dumping measure.

The paints themselves are covered in our solvent-based paints guide; confirm the commodity code.

Hazards and specification

Driers are usually solutions of metal carboxylates in solvent, and several, including cobalt driers, carry hazard classifications under the retained CLP Regulation, so they need GB labels, a GB-format safety data sheet and often dangerous goods transport. Ask the supplier for the full composition and classification, and consider cobalt-free alternatives where your customers ask for them.

Specify the metal and its content, the solvent, viscosity, colour, and drying performance in your formulation, and packing in UN-approved drums.

Worked duty example

Illustrative example, not a quote: 2 tonnes of zirconium-calcium drier in drums under 3211 00 00 00, invoiced at £7,000 free on board, with £900 of freight and insurance to the UK. The customs value is £7,900. Duty at 0% is £0. Import VAT at 20% is charged on the customs value plus duty, £7,900, so it is £1,580. With no duty, the only import tax is the VAT, which a VAT-registered importer can usually reclaim. The import duty and VAT guide explains each step.

Inspection checklist

Analysis: check metal content against the certificate of analysis.

Performance: test drying time in your paint or ink.

Packing: check drums, closures and hazard labels. See our quality inspection guide.

What goes wrong

Drier orders fail on metal content, labels and compatibility. Metal content is below specification, labels miss GB CLP requirements, and a drier causes skinning or colour change in the formulation.

Cambridge China Bridge sources coatings raw materials for UK paint and ink makers with documents agreed before shipment. See testing and certification.